


And I Think to Myself, "What a Wonderful World"

by Taimat



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Mostly Fluff, it's really light
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-26
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-05-03 11:58:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5289809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taimat/pseuds/Taimat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To say that Arin had grown up confused wouldn't be fair, really.</p>
<p>He knew who he was, who his friends were, what he wanted to do in life.</p>
<p>Really the only teeny tiny itty bitty part of him that was confused was that whole...whole soulmate part. Thing.</p>
<p>It was like one giant universal joke, and Arin was so very tired of being the butt of it. So most days, he tried to forget that it was even a thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And I Think to Myself, "What a Wonderful World"

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a Tumblr OTP prompt. (Kinda both of them actually.)
> 
> Soulmate AU where everyone is born with the knowledge of their soulmate’s first name. One of two things can happen:  
> A) Person A is frustrated because their soulmate’s name is a super common one (like Jack or Jane) and they meet several people with that name through their life before finally finding Person B, or  
> B) Person A is frustrated because their soulmate’s name is incredibly “out there” (Destiny, Petruchio, etc.) and “WHAT KIND OF A NAME IS THAT!” Of course, then they meet Person B, who has that weird name.
> 
> I'm taking some liberties with the timeline and how they meet, but...hey, AU.

To say that Arin had grown up confused wouldn't be fair, really.

He knew who he was, who his friends were, what he wanted to do in life.

Really the only teeny tiny itty bitty part of him that was confused was that whole...whole _soulmate_ part. Thing.

And that was because, even after twenty-something years, he still didn't know if he was supposed to find one person with an extremely long, unusual name, or two different people. He'd known since...well, birth, probably, that he was looking for a Leigh Daniel Danny Avidan Sexbang...something something. And like, that couldn't be right, could it? People didn't have names like Sexbang. Or that much redundancy.

He'd tried to compromise by just focusing on "Dan," but there were about a jillion of those in the world, and wow, thinking about it was giving him a headache again.

It was like one giant universal joke, and Arin was so very tired of being the butt of it. So most days, he tried to forget that it was even a thing.

He shook his head, and Suzy made a concerned noise next to him. Arin gave her a smile and a one-shouldered shrug. "Sorry, must've dozed off for a bit."

She sighed and patted his arm, trying to make him put down his pencil and take a break. Rest his eyes and stuff.

Why couldn't it have been her?

...why couldn't he stop caring so much?

 

~~~~~~~

 

Ross laughs so hard he crashes sideways into Arin, who catches him only to shove him back the other way. It's sheer dumb luck that causes him to miss the laptop cord and not bring the whole thing tumbling down with him. 

"Dude! Careful!" Ross gasps out between wheezes.  
  
"Then don't flail around so much, moron."  
  
Ross responds by sticking out his tongue and turning his glare back to the screen, scrolling through the short list of songs again. Shortly after, "Puppies in Space" has them both giggling.

 

~~~~~~~

 

Of course, it's Ross who shows him his first Ninja Sex Party video. It's something about a dude having sex with everything in his girlfriend's house, it's full of puns and horrible double entendres, and it's terrible in the best sort of way.

But the thing is, the music is actually really good. And the guy singing, well...he's kind of cute.

It's when they're flipping through other videos, Ross eager to show him as many things as possible as quickly as he can, that Arin catches something that sounds an awful lot like "Sexbang." His heart immediately jumps into his throat, and he's practically climbing into Ross's lap to get at the mouse so he can rewind a bit.

Danny Sexbang.

That's... Well, that's...that's...

Arin doesn't realize he's been holding his breath until a gentle touch from Ross has him sucking in a loud gasp.

Ross's eyes are wide and blue, and it's a mark of just how crazed Arin must look that he manages to ask, in complete seriousness, "It's him, isn't it?"

Arin swallows hard and nearly looks away when Ross starts scouring the Internet. But suddenly, in front of him, on one page, are all of the names he'd tried to forget.

Leigh Daniel Avidan.

Danny Sexbang.

They're the same person, and they're this...okay, this completely strange and hilarious guy on the screen in front of him.

He's in the middle of daydreaming about whether or not Danny knows he exists when Ross pushes him off his chair with a mighty shove.

"You looked like you were about to float away to sparkly anime land," is the only reasoning he gives.

Arin can't even debate him on that.

 

~~~~~~~

 

Arin doesn't know how he managed it, but somehow Ross had enticed NSP (not _just_ Danny, Arin has to keep reminding himself) with some of Arin's portfolio that he _swears_ he never gave the other man, and out of the blue, the band is contacting him about possibly animating one of their videos, and Arin is over the fucking moon and also completely terrified. 

What should he do? Say? Wear?  
  
What if he spills coffee all down his front and Dan laughs him out of the cafe?  
  
What if he trips over his own words and the man can't even understand him?  
  
What if--  
  
"Stop it." Suzy pulls his hands away from where they're worrying at the hem of his shirt. "It's going to be fine, Arin. It can be just business, if you want. You don't have to tell him."

"But what if I _want_ to tell him?" Arin knows he's whining, but he can't stop.

Suzy sighs. "Then tell him. Do what feels right, you big silly." She grins and brushes his hair back. "You'll be great."

The whole drive there, he freaks out. Right until he opens the door and sees Dan's wild head of hair bowed over a notebook.

At the chime, the other man looks up, and Arin's stomach and heart seem to promptly swap positions in his body. Thankfully, Dan doesn't appear to have noticed his rearranging organs, but he does tilt his head in question, and god, he's adorable.

He can't do this. He's going to fuck up everything. He's going to ruin any chance of even a friendship with this guy who's...who's apparently his _everything_.

Arin's body, however, has a different agenda, and he finds himself striding toward Dan's table with a lot more confidence than he'd thought he could muster. Dan's smile only grows with every step, and by the time Arin reaches a free seat, the other man is standing to greet him.

"Hey." His voice is soft and warm, like his eyes, and Arin tries very, very hard not to melt through the floor when long fingers curl around his own in a handshake that feels more intimate than...a lot of things, actually.

"I'm Arin." Dan's smile flickers for just a moment, and Arin's gut clenches, and everything is terrible and-- "You waiting for me? Or another handsome animator?"

That does the trick, and Dan outright giggles in a way that he has no business doing if he wants to remain not-kissed.

Fuck.

"Yeah, man. Nice to meet you. Thanks for coming out here."

"It's no problem, really. We're not all that far from my place." Less innuendo, Arin! Less! "Honestly, I should be thanking you for putting up with Ross long enough to get this organized."

Dan laughs again, and it gives Arin the confidence to push on.

"So, what do you go by normally? Or is it always Danny Sexbang?"

His eyes sparkle with what Arin is certain is amusement. "Just Dan is fine. You?"

"Arin. Just Arin."

The meeting goes...surprisingly well. Though Suzy probably wouldn't be surprised, Arin thinks. They're wrapping up with plans to meet again once Arin has a few more storyboards sketched out, and all in all, he's feeling pretty great.

Until he gives Dan his business card so that they can keep in touch, and Dan stares at it in silence for a solid five seconds before stammering out something Arin can't quite understand, scooping up all of his papers, and scurrying out of the cafe before Arin can wrap his head around whatever was going on.

Arin's left staring after him with his mouth open.

He didn't even get Dan's card in return.

 

~~~~~~~

 

By the time he gets home, he's nearly in tears, and he texts Suzy in desperation. She's his best friend, and goddamn it, he needs a hug right the fuck now.

She doesn't ask questions, just replies that she's on her way, and Arin curls up in a miserable ball on the couch while he waits for her.

He's worked himself into something of a state during the short time it takes her to arrive, and no sooner has he opened the door than she's sweeping in and ushering them both back to the couch, curling up with him without so much as a word. Arin makes a sad sort of whimper and presses his forehead to her shoulder, but she doesn't pry. She just waits.

"I fucked up, Suze. And I don't even know how."

"What happened?"

"I don't know! I gave him my card, and he just...just _bolted_. And I don't have his email or his number and even if I did I couldn't contact him anyway because I scared him off!" He sniffles, and Suzy pets his hair gently.

"So, it went fine until that point?"

"Yes! Like, it felt like we were really hitting it off!"

Suzy is quiet for a moment, and then, "Arin, what if you're his soulmate, too?"

"Then why wouldn't he have said something when I introduced myself in the first place?"

She hums. "Not sure. Wanna ask Ross to talk to him?"

"No," Arin whines. "He's already freaked out. I don't wanna stalk him and make it worse."

"Are you sure?"

No, he isn't. He's not sure about a lot of things, now. But there's nothing to do but push on, right? So he nods into her neck.

"Want me to stay over and play terrible video games with you all night?"

He nods again. He has the best fucking friends in the world.

 

~~~~~~~

 

Two days later, he gets a text from an unknown number. He stares at it curiously for only a second before opening it.

_"Arin? It's Dan."_

And he nearly drops his phone in surprise.

"Hey," is all he manages to send back, and even that seems like an inordinate amount of effort.

_"Wow, okay, quick reply."_

Arin doesn't even know what to say to that, so he...doesn't. He waits.

_"Fuck. Sorry. I wanted you to know that I'm working on a reply but I'm just coming off as an asshole."_

Arin keeps waiting.

_"Okay, fair. I wanted to apologize. For running out on you. Can we talk? ASAP?"_

"Aren't we?"

_"In person? Anywhere you want, I'll meet you."_

Arin sighs, and in what is either a stroke of brilliance or idiocy, sends Dan his address.

"My place, if you want."

He half-expects Dan not to reply, but then he does.

_"On my way."_

And there on his couch, in his sweatpants and old t-shirt, completely unprepared for the curveball life is throwing him, Arin feels...hopeful.

 

~~~~~~~

 

Of course, Dan can't get there instantly, so Arin has a bit of time to brush his hair and change into a pair of jeans that make it look like he at least did something today. After that, the remaining wait time is occupied with pacing and running his fingers nervously through his hair.

The knock on the door somehow surprises him.

When he opens the door, Dan's waiting on the other side, looking just as stressed and unkempt as Arin feels, and any ire he had remaining melts away.

"Hey. Take off your shoes and come on in, Dan."

Arin turns his back to the door and heads inside, trusting Dan to follow, and sure enough, there're the sounds of him kicking his shoes off and turning the lock, then soft scuffing sounds as he shuffles along behind Arin.

They sit on opposite ends of the couch, facing the TV screen that's paused on Pokemon Snap, but they don't look at the screen. Nor do they look at each other. Arin stares at Dan's socks for some reason he can't really comprehend, and Dan stares at the floor.

After long minutes spent in tense silence, Dan finally speaks. "I'm sorry, Arin. That was super rude of me."

Arin shifts and bites his lip. "Can you tell me what happened? Did I do something wrong or weird or anything?"

"No!"

There's so much adamance in Dan's voice that Arin can't help but look up to meet his gaze.

"I had a great time! You were great. Are great. And I..." He swallows like he wants to say something but just can't make the words happen.

Arin shakes his head at the pair of them.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is, growing up unable to tell your friends the name of your soulmate because one of his names is Sexbang and you get in trouble with the grownups every time you say it?"

Dan sucks in a sharp breath. "You knew?"

"Yeah, man. Since Ross showed me your videos."

"But you didn't... You didn't say anything."

Arin shrugs. "I didn't wanna make it weird?"

Dan sinks a little lower into the couch and scuffs at the floor with one red-socked foot. "I'd just assumed that I was broken or something, because no one in the world names their kid Egoraptor."

"True. But to be fair, my parents didn't name me that."

Dan shakes his head, and at that, Arin realizes that his whole body is, in fact, shaking. "I didn't think I _had_ one. I thought..."

He doesn't know if it's the right thing to do, but Arin reaches out, anyway, resting a hand on Dan's shoulder. Dan's head whips around, and Arin's shocked to find his eyes shining with unshed tears. And he doesn't know _why_.

"Dan?"

The other man lets out a pained sort of noise and scrubs at his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. "Fuck. I don't know if I'm happy or sad or terrified or all three."

"Me, too?" Arin offers.

"It's like, I'd resigned myself to not having any kind of long-term thing. Ever."

Arin starts to pull back, but Dan grasps quickly at his hand, stilling the movement.

"I'm saying that I'm not good at this relationship thing. I can do, like...flings. And friends. But I...I don't..."

Arin's heart seems to drop even further, though he's pretty sure there's not much lower it can get. "I understand. We don't have to do or be anything, man. We--"

"Damn it, stop!" Dan's full-on crying now, wet tears dropping steadly down his unshaven cheeks, and he scrubs angrily at them again. "Stop being so...so _wonderful_. Fuck, you're so funny and nice and attractive and I'm so mad because I _like_ you, you idiot! And I have no idea what I'm doing and I swear I've never been this scared in like, ever."

Arin squeezes Dan's shoulder gently, then scoots closer. "If it helps, I like you, too?"

For some reason, that's the thing that makes Dan stop crying, though it appears to be out of shock.

"You do?" His voice is so small and unsure, and all Arin wants in that moment is to scoop him up and hug him and pet him and make him laugh again.

"Of course, you big dumb. Why the hell else would I have invited you over?"

"I-I thought you were just be-being nice."

Dan's got those after-crying shudders, and it's so insanely cute that Arin has to touch him more. He has to. So he surges forward and grabs Dan in a huge hug that squashes him sideways and is probably super uncomfortable, and Dan's crazy hair is all up in Arin's face, and Dan's more angular than is really recommended for optimal cuddling, but then Dan positively _melts_ in Arin's arms and lets out one of the most satisfied-sounding sighs Arin has ever heard.

"You big dumb," he reiterates.

"Yeah," Dan sighs.

"We can go as slow as you want, but if you want to, I want to try. I want to try being an 'us.' Because you're fun and cute and I like you."

Dan's struggling in his hold, but it's to get closer, not to escape. And in the end, Arin's got all four of Dan's long limbs wrapped around him like an octopus, Dan's mouth whispering, "Yes," into his ear, Dan's bright grin flashing in front of him, and Arin thinks that the universe is pretty fucking great, after all.


End file.
